Monday, 27 January 2014

Shop of the Week No. 15 IroquoisDesigns

It's second time around for this week's shop of the week, Iroquois Designs. Here is the winning treasury chosen by Lisa from HiGirls.

Now I know this is second time around for Jessica, and I
loved writing about her before. This time I have been completely stuck for something
new, but decided that elaborating on some of the cultural designs Jessica uses
in her shop would be a good place to start.

One of my favourite items in Jessica’s shop are those with
the double curve designs. Not just because of their aesthetic value, though
they are just beautiful, but that they are reminiscent of some of the ancient
native British art forms. The lines, colours and form is simple yet fascinating
in its simplicity.

But how to begin writing about it? I know little or nothing
really about American Indian culture and art, as much as I love it. Jessica
does, so who better to ask than someone who is actually part of that culture?

Double curves are Eastern woodland designs typically found
in bead work. Today you can find them on leather, drums, clothing, baskets, pottery,
jewellery, and of course on

various beaded work. If you go to a pow wow here in
the North East you are sure to come across them at some point. When I was a
kid, (and even now) my mom used them on the breach cloths of her scale cornhusk
dolls. Back then, I didn’t realise they had a name or meaning.

The basic design symbolises balance, give and take, teaching
and learning. There is a center point, at which a flower usually grows, and it
branches to the left, and it branches the same way to the right. The left side
is the female side, which is for giving, teaching and nurturing. The right side
is

the male side for the strength to take in, and learning.

You can see some wonderful examples of Jessica’s work in her
Etsy Shop, Iroquois Designs, and also on her blog,